Bianca Perea, 32, is cancer-free after a groundbreaking liver transplant
Greater Manchester: A young woman named Bianca Perea is celebrating being cancer-free after a groundbreaking liver transplant. This was the first of its kind in the UK for advanced bowel cancer.
At just 32, Bianca, a trainee lawyer, faced a tough battle. She was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in November 2021, and it had spread to her liver. It was a real shocker for her, especially since she didn’t have many symptoms.
She first went to her GP in Wigan feeling bloated and constipated. After some tests, doctors found high blood levels in her stool, leading to a colonoscopy. That’s when the news hit her hard: cancer.
Bianca recalled feeling a bit off but never thought it would be something so serious. She said, “I didn’t feel in my gut that that was going to be it.” After the diagnosis, she underwent various treatments, including chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy.
Despite the grim outlook, Bianca kept her spirits up. She had an emergency stoma fitted and was later referred to the Christie NHS Foundation Trust. After two and a half years of treatment, she was finally eligible for surgery to remove the bowel tumor.
However, doctors found tumors in her liver that couldn’t be operated on. But thanks to her positive response to treatment, they considered a liver transplant. In February 2024, she was added to the transplant list and soon found a donor.
Last summer, she underwent the transplant at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Just four weeks later, she was back to driving and walking her dogs. “It’s incredible,” she said, “to go from being told I’d only have a short time to live to now being cancer-free is the greatest gift.”
Bianca expressed her gratitude to the family of the organ donor, saying, “I’ve been given a second chance at life.” Her oncologist, Dr. Kalena Marti, shared in her joy, noting that the tumor cells in her liver were inactive after removal.
Dr. Ian Rowe from Leeds Teaching Hospitals also praised Bianca’s recovery, emphasizing the importance of organ donation. Bianca is now looking forward to holidays and improving her fitness, feeling optimistic about her health.
